‘Stop this onslaught’ says Trump

Via twitter on Thursday, President Trump affirmed his disapproval of the incoming migrants from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. Nearly 3,000 migrants are in route North to the border but they may be met with extreme resistance.

The group, who are fleeing violence and poverty, are blissfully unaware of Trump’s threats and what could be in store for them.

In addition to Trump’s threat about cutting all aid payments for the countries, he now threatens to meet these migrants with military force.

This wouldn’t be the first time Trump has suggested sending troops to the border, nor will it be his last. Having made it apparent to crack down on border security, Trump wrote “In addition to stopping all payments to these countries, which seem to have almost no control over their population, I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught – and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!”

But these harsh and affirmative words bear no meaning to these migrants, who’ve made their intentions clear as well: head to the U.S.

Maybe by coincidence or by intention, his words come weeks before the midterm elections on November 6. Which could potentially boasts more Democratic than Republican on Capitol Hill. Could this be just an effort to increase support?

Again, it wouldn’t be the first time Trump has used refugees as a way to drum up support for more security. But some are left skeptical at these ’empty threats’ as Trump’s previous Twitter threats have proved unreliable.

But if Trump does go through with his intentions, it could come with its share of consequences. Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute said closing the border “would wreak havoc on Mexican and American economies”.

Thousands of goods and people legally cross the border everyday. So theoretically, would it be wise to close the border?

Even so, the United States and Mexican government see to be in cahoots with dealing with the migrants.

Erika Guevara-Rosas of Amnesty International stated “Mexican authorities should not take a Trump approach treating people like a security threat. These families deserve dignity and respect to ensure that no one is illegally returned to situations where they could risk serious harm due to violence”.

It’s been said that Mexico “will try to defuse the crisis” and that the caravan should lessen by the time it reaches the US-Mexico border. “It is a plan that we have, that anyone who wants to work in Mexico will have a work visa” says Mexican president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Yet despite many turbulent obstacles and empty threats, these migrants choose to make the 2,800 mile journey. Many hoping to “escape the Honduras nightmare” rather than seek “the American dream”.

So Honduras’ foreign ministry urges its citizens to “not let themselves be used by a movement that is clearly political and seeks to disrupt the government, stability, and peace”.